Every disaster recovery plan needs a general and, for Pictorial Offset, five-star status went to Gary Samuels.

It was the execution of that recovery plan that has enabled the commercial printer to find some semblance of normalcy where others have failed and even perished from a business perspective in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, which struck New Jersey on Oct. 29, 2012.

Preparation actually began the previous Thursday, when the weather forecasters began talking about a phenomenon that they termed “Frankenstorm.” Sandbags were put down and printers’ blankets were used as gaskets to seal the doorways. Sandy’s tidal surge found its way in, regardless.

The Samuels brothers returned to the shop late on Oct. 30, having been held back earlier by road closures due to flooding. Though only puddles remained in the plant after the waters receded, the damage had been done. Across the facilities, 18˝ of water had visited Pictorial, with significant wind, rain and electrical damage throughout. Power would be out for nine days.

“We were undertaking triage, determining which repairs were most critical to get us back online as quickly as possible,” he remarks. “I knew that when power returned, I would be unable to work without motors operating in all the equipment. In the coming days, we were able to refurbish more than 140 motors, from two horsepower to 200 horsepower. And we started pulling those motors out on Wednesday morning, using flashlights until another local printer, whose son-in-law sold generators, helped us secure one.

“Basically, we turned to our employees to help us recover, and did not lay a single person off in the immediate aftermath of the storm,” he adds. “Another area printer fired everybody, then eventually rehired many people. We took the attitude that employees are family and we have to stick together.”

Pulling the motors early was critical; since motor rebuilding capacity in the area was limited, the wait time soon became six weeks. Another large project was removing the water-damaged walls. Four-foot-tall sections were ripped out, since 4x8 feet is a standard size for drywall. That alone took nearly six months to complete.

The biggest piece of advice that Donald Samuels can offer for disaster recovery plans? Before you purchase a business insurance policy, make sure you understand the extent of the coverage and any exclusions that may be buried deep inside the policy. Further, in the event that a disaster does unfold, “You have to hire the best insurance adjuster that you can find, because there is a whole army of consultants the insurance companies hire to figure out ways not to pay you,” he says.

However, even with such precautions, the Samuels have found their own insurance policy providers to be less than accommodating. “It’s disappointing to us that our insurance company has approached our claim in the way they have,” Don Samuels adds. “Insurance is supposed to be a two-way contract, whereby you pay your premiums during good times for protection during bad times. They were more than happy to take our business in the first place, but have not yet made good on their end of the bargain. It’s nearly a year after the storm, and I don’t feel like we’ve made adequate progress with them.”

As for returning to normal, the process is ongoing. “Closer to normal would be the insurance company saying, ‘We’re sorry, we’re here to help.’ ” Donald Samuels exclaims.

He’s not holding his breath for such a reply.

What's on your roof? Pose that question to the managing partners of Carlstadt, NJ-based Pictorial Offset, and the answer is quite simple.

Dollar signs and a better environment.

Well, technically the correct answer is solar panels. But make no mistake about it, the leadership trio of brothers Donald, Gary and Lester Samuels are not content just to leverage the strength of their "Design to Destination" prowess as a commercial printer. Their outside-the-box thinking didn't stray very far. Call it an atop-the-box philosophy.

"We had been studying solar panels for almost five years," notes Donald Samuels. "It makes for good business sense. In late 2011, we decided to start implementing the project. It entailed a combination of re-roofing the two buildings—including a white roof because it reflects heat in the summer—and the engineering of panels."

Pictorial Offset turned to Solis Partners, of Manasquan, NJ, to orchestrate the project. Solis designed, engineered and constructed the 2,968-panel system that, so far, has reduced Pictorial's electric bill by 40 percent. Touted as the largest solar panel installation by any commercial printing company in the United States, the installation has (at press time) generated 1.15 million kWh since the installation, enough to power 1,255 houses for a month.

In all, the solar panel system's output will match the reduction of more than 1.189 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions during the life of the system. Thus, if one's motivation is environmental responsibility, the financial bottom line or both, the solar photovoltaic route has something for everyone.

The system cost about $4 million in all, though the return on investment (ROI) is somewhat complex to compute, according to Donald Samuels. It was financed, in part, by Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) and will be repaid through Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs), which is New Jersey's state subsidy for green power. Additionally, Pictorial took advantage of the Section 1603 cash grants in lieu of tax credits for renewable energy offered through 2012 under the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act.